Iraqi ministry officials arrested
Twenty-three Iraqi interior and defence officials are arrested, suspected of being members of a banned Baathist party.

New rocket fire on south Israel
Violence flares between Israel and Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip, a day before a six-month truce is due to expire.

Japan ends five-year Iraq mission
Japanese PM Taro Aso hails the success of his country's five-year mission in Iraq, as the last planes leave the region.

Blackwater 'could lose Iraq role'
Blackwater could lose its license to operate in Iraq, so the US must find other ways to protect its diplomats, a US report says.

UK troops to leave Iraq 'by July'
British troops are to be withdrawn from Iraq by the end of July, Gordon Brown says on a visit to Baghdad.

Iraq MPs rage over shoe thrower
There are scenes of uproar in the Iraqi parliament as MPs discuss a journalist who threw shoes at the visiting US president.

Bush brushes off shoe attack
George Bush has no hard feelings about the Iraq shoe attack, says his spokeswoman, who received a black eye in the melee.

Bahrain 'foils terrorist attack'
Several people allegedly planning bomb attacks during Bahrain's national celebrations have been arrested, officials say.

Russia 'to give' Lebanon war jets
Moscow says it is sending 10 MiG-29 fighters jets to Lebanon as a gift and sign of military assistance.

Israel probes horrific bus crash
Israeli officials investigate how a tour bus ploughed off a desert road and plummeted down a ravine, killing 24 people.

Rocket attack on southern Israel
Palestinian militants fire a barrage of rockets at southern Israel wounding two people, two days before a truce ends.

Saudis in border deal with Qatar
Saudi Arabia and Qatar agree a final delineation of their borders and pledge to boost co-operation, officials and state media say.

Opec agrees record oil output cut
Oil cartel Opec agrees to make its biggest output cut, slashing 2.2 million barrels per day, but prices still fall below $40 a barrel.

Magic beast
Smooth ride as man and donkey make friends over corn

Sexy secrets
Exploring the exotic world of Syrian lingerie

Shoe chucker
The man who threw footwear at George W Bush

Trust ties
Good faith gets cash over borders for needy Iraqis

Cyber wars
Iran's bloggers fight for internet free speech

Ultimate insult
Cultural significance of shoe assault on George Bush

Kuwait re-appoints prime minister
Kuwait's emir re-appoints outgoing premier Sheikh Nasser al-Sabah who resigned in November to avoid a grilling by MPs.

Double bomb attack hits Baghdad
At least 18 people are killed and dozens hurt a twin bomb attack in the Iraqi capital - as the UK prime minister visits Baghdad.

Bomb plot doctor jailed for life
An NHS doctor from Iraq convicted of plotting car bomb attacks in London and Glasgow is sentenced to at least 32 years.

UN adopts Middle East resolution
The UN Security Council passes its first resolution on the Middle East for five years, in a bid to boost the peace process.

Iraq rally for Bush shoe attacker
Thousands of Iraqis take to the streets to demand the release of a local TV reporter who threw his shoes at President Bush.

Brown holds talks with Israeli PM
Gordon Brown holds talks with Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, a day after meeting his Palestinian counterpart Salam Fayyad.

Israel jails Hamas speaker Dweik
An Israeli military court sentences the speaker of the Palestinian parliament to three years in prison for belonging to Hamas.

Yazidis targeted in Iraq attack
Seven members of the Yazidi minority religious sect in Iraq have been killed in an attack on their home.

Israel told to re-route barrier
Israel's High Court upholds an order to re-route part of the West Bank barrier to give Palestinians in Bilin access to more land.

Iraq economy 'on track' says IMF
Improved security and a more stable political environment mean economic development in Iraq is "encouraging", the IMF says.

Dubai shares hit despite promises
Dubai's stock market falls 5% to its lowest level in four years despite assuring investors it can meet its debt obligations.

Anger at Abbas appointment
Commentators in the Arab press highlighted the "symbolic" nature of Abbas' appointment to a nominal post last held by Yasser Arafat.

Algeria constitution vote dismay
Algerian newspapers comment on the parliamentary vote to allow President Bouteflika to run for a third term.

Iranian blogs on Obama victory
Iranians blogging in Farsi give their reaction to Obama's election victory.

Iraqis comment on US troop deal
The Iraqi cabinet approves a security pact with the US, which foresees a US troop withdrawal by the end of 2011.

Gaza voices on the closure
People in Gaza may be without UN food aid from Saturday, after Israel refused to allow in emergency supplies. The territory has been sealed off since 5 November; Israel says continued mortar fire from Gaza militants is to blame. Three Gazans describe how the enforced closure has affected them.

Syria's own 'war on terror'
Syria grapples with an emerging internal threat

Analysis: Kirkuk faultline
Tension and violence in the ethnically-mixed city

Lebanon refugees fear for future
Plight of refugees from ruined Palestinian camp

Life on the edge for Syrian artists
In the second of his articles from the Syrian capital Damascus, the BBC's Martin Asser looks at the role of the cultural life in a state which for years have rigorously controlled freedom of expression.

Inside Gaza: Malnutrition and lack
The daily struggle with hunger and malnutrition